


Drinking Coffee in the Name of Love

by Mel_S_Bancroft



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-23
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-06-04 02:01:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6636607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mel_S_Bancroft/pseuds/Mel_S_Bancroft
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shiraishi doesn't like coffee but finds himself returning to the campus café every day anyway.</p><p>Alternatively: Shiraishi Kuranosuke is an idiot (but we all knew that already)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Drinking Coffee in the Name of Love

**Author's Note:**

> Just a random little something I wrote today instead of:  
> a) doing homework  
> b) working on my Ghost/Reincarnation AU  
> c) working on my King and Lionheart AU (even though it's almost finished!! seriously!! there's really only, like, one scene left but I can't seem to write it!!)
> 
> Dear kami-sama, please help me, for I don't know how to characterize Kenya in the slightest.

It had gotten to the point where even he didn’t believe himself anymore whenever he said that he didn’t like coffee.

Two months ago, he and his best friend had decided to meet up at the campus’ café to brainstorm ideas for their group project, and he’d allowed himself to get roped into getting a coffee as well. He’d needed the caffeine, and he actually didn’t really mind coffee if it was only every once in a while.

But this wasn’t just “every once in a while.”

Not long after they had settled down at a table, another student had entered the café, and Kuranosuke might not have noticed him if he hadn’t been distracted, the task of brainstorming boring when ideas refused to flow from his tired mind. As it was, his eyes were drawn to the other as soon as he stepped into his line of sight.

The only word that could be used to describe him was simply: beautiful. He had an air of graceful confidence about him, and half of his blue-black hair was pulled back, the rest left to fall free of the ponytail it wasn’t quite long enough for, framing his face in gentle curls. Kuranosuke hadn’t believed in love at first sight before, but he thought that maybe he did now.

The dark-haired beauty had showed up the next day too, and the next, and Kuranosuke found himself going back every day at the same time even after finishing his project—and, yes, buying coffee too. He couldn’t very well just hang around in a café all the time and never buy anything!

“You’re being an idiot,” Kenya told him. “Stop staring at him like a lovesick fool and just ask him out already.”

Kuranosuke startled, his attention snapping back to his friend. “Wha—I—I’m not lovesick!”

Kenya looked unimpressed. “You know my cousin’s Yuushi, right? I’m pretty sure I know what it looks like by now, if not from all those romances he makes me watch with him, then from him pining after that redhead of his. And that’s what you’re doing. Pining.”

Deflating, Kuranosuke sighed and fiddled with the coffee in his hands. “What if he’s not even interested in guys? He could be straight. You don’t know that!”

“I could ask him,” he shrugged.

At the sound of the chair across from him scraping back, Kuranosuke’s gaze snapped up, eyes widening. He made a lunge for his friend, who quickly hopped back out of the way, turning around and striding purposefully for the other side of the café. “Nononononono,” he begged quietly, lunging once again and this time managing to capture the other’s forearm in both hands, but Kenya ignored him.

They stopped a few paces from where the black-haired man sat alone reading; Kuranosuke had quieted but still tugged futilely at his best friend’s arm in a failing attempt to lead him away before he could betray him completely.

“Hey,” Kenya said. The man looked up from his book and blinked. Pointing his free hand at Kuranosuke, Kenya continued: “My friend’s interested in you and wants to know if you’ll go out with him.”

“Kenyaaaaaa!!” said friend hissed quietly, but fell silent as soon as the man turned his blue-eyed gaze on him. Kuranosuke straightened and released his friend’s imprisoned arm, suddenly feeling exposed under the piercing but curious gaze that swept over him. Their eyes met again after a moment, and Kuranosuke held his breath.

“I wouldn’t mind.”

He still stood frozen as Kenya slapped his back congratulatorially and the man indicated the seat across from him with a small nod of his head. Spurred on by a small encouraging shove from Kenya before he trotted off, his legs carried him woodenly over and he plopped down in the chair.

The man quirked one eyebrow at him, amusement glittering in the summer sky of his eyes. “I’m Yukimura Seiichi, by the way.”

Recovering most of his usual demeanor, Kuranosuke smiled dashingly, all traces of previous nervousness melting away. “Shiraishi Kuranosuke.”

Yukimura blinked a couple times in surprise at the sudden flip before recovering just as quickly. His eyes flicked up briefly to Kenya when he reappeared just then to set Kuranosuke’s forgotten-about coffee in front of him before ducking back out with a cheerful salute. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips when he looked back at him, amusement evident in the play of his voice when he said, “I’ve made an exception this time, but next time you can just ask me out yourself, you know.” He smirked playfully. “Just don’t wait two months again and I might even say yes,” he teased.

Kuranosuke gaped. Yukimura ducked his head as he laughed, clear and melodic. “You were so _obvious_ about it, of course I noticed!” he grinned.

Huffing out a short breath, Kuranosuke pouted slightly as he averted his gaze, cheeks pinkening. “Well, I never denied being an idiot.” But he soon softened and readily returned Yukimura’s smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Why two months? Who knows.
> 
> Why doesn't 'congratulate' have an associated adverb?? Or does it and I just can't find it? At least in English you can usually just stick '-ly' on the end of a word and you get an adverb so I made 'congratulatorially.'
> 
> I'm wishing-on-the-moon on tumblr if you want to talk to me there.


End file.
